Friday, September 5, 2008

Google Chrome

So I just downloaded the new web browser from Google. It's called Chrome, and I think I dig it. I'm still feeling my way around, but so far, so good. It's one of the most elegant (and least intrusive) applications I've ever used... as I would expect from Google. I love that I could easily import my bookmarks and passwords from Firefox.

But the coolest thing is this 38 page comic introducing Chrome, by none other than Scott McCloud, the genius behind Understanding Comics (LOVE that book!). It's probably longer than it needs to be, but it's engaging, informative, and a brilliant way to not only introduce the new browser, but also to introduce the team and the design philosophy behind it. It's a master class in software design principles, in a mere 38 pages. I highly recommend it.

I'm not ready to abandon Firefox and endorse Chrome just yet - gotta kick the tires and see what this puppy can do. But I can tell you the very first thing I did after downloading and installing Chrome was write this blog post.

6 comments:

Disappointed, so far. Clicking on Get Directions after a search for a local business in Google maps, of all things, brought up the starting address box, but fails to render anything at all when I click GO!Switching over to IE (on my work machine, where I resisted Firefox since my last new laptop but couldn't resist Chrome) and it worked just fine.Very strange that their extensive testing of millions of web sites wouldn't have caught a bug on Google Maps?

I'm still hesitant to jump on board as well. Haven't downloaded it yet, but waiting until Google gets their privacy policy in order. They have a reputation for statements that basically say, "we can use all the information you put in our program for whatever we want". Okay, not quite that explicit, but not far off.